TellyCast: The content industry podcast

This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby speaks to Timothy Oh from COL Group, one of the biggest players in the booming micro drama business.
As the company behind platforms including ReelShort, Timothy explains why short-form, vertical storytelling has exploded in China and the US, why it is now starting to spread across Europe, and what it could mean for broadcasters, producers and content businesses in the UK.
The conversation explores why micro drama has already overtaken the Chinese box office, how companies are making tens of millions of dollars from series costing a fraction of traditional TV budgets, and why the next battle will be fought over monetisation, IP and audience ownership.
Justin and Timothy also discuss why British audiences may need their own version of micro drama, why the current content often feels too “cheesy” for UK viewers, and how broadcasters could reinvent familiar brands and soaps for a vertical, mobile-first world.
Inside this episode:
– Why micro drama has become one of the fastest-growing sectors in global entertainment
– How COL Group built a global micro drama empire
– The role of apps including ReelShort in driving the market
– Why UK broadcasters and producers are starting to pay attention
– How data, testing and constant iteration drive success in social video
– Whether micro drama will eventually move onto platforms like YouTube, TikTok and streaming services
– Why the future of digital-first storytelling may depend on creating local content for local audiences
If you want to understand where the next wave of social video and digital-first entertainment is heading, this is an episode you do not want to miss.
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This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby sits down with Matt Campion, co-founder of Spirit Studios, for a deep dive into how one of the UK’s most established digital-first production companies is building for the future.
Matt explains how Spirit evolved from an early digital production business into a multi-strand content company spanning originals, podcasts, branded content, YouTube channel management and new vertical video formats. He talks through Spirit’s revenue model, why digital growth demands a different mindset from traditional TV, and why building platform-native IP is a long-term entrepreneurial play rather than a quick fix.
The conversation also explores how audience data shapes development, why production companies need to think beyond single commissions, and what the next generation of super indies could look like in a world where content brands need to live across YouTube, podcasts, social video, streaming and linear.
Justin and Matt also discuss the rise of micro drama, the reality of making money in digital, the value of owning IP, and what legacy producers still misunderstand about the digital-first production economy. To close, Matt gives his take on the launch of Saturday Night Live UK and what it says about risk, ambition and the future of entertainment.
This is a sharp conversation for anyone working in TV, digital production, podcasting or social video who wants to understand where the content business is heading next.
If you work in production and want to understand how the digital-first economy really works, this episode is for you.
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The TV industry is changing fast, and traditional production models are no longer enough. In this episode of TellyCast, recorded live at How to Make Money in Digital, Anjdy Fry digs into what the digital-first production economy really looks like in 2026.
From YouTube and social video to new studio models, monetisation strategies and creator-led IP, this conversation explores how TV producers, executives and indie founders can build sustainable digital businesses alongside – or beyond – broadcast.
If you work in TV and want to understand where the growth is coming from, how successful digital studios are operating, and what skills and mindsets are now essential, this episode is a practical guide to navigating the shift to social video and platform-native content.
TellyCast is the podcast for people working at the sharp end of digital-first video, bringing together producers, platforms and creators shaping the future of the production economy.
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Justin Crosby speaks to Chinese micro-drama expert Wenwen Han, founder and CEO of the Short Drama Alliance, about how China built the world’s most advanced short-form drama economy. The conversation explores platform ecosystems on Douyin and WeChat, in-app payments versus ad-funded viewing, the rise of AI-generated “motion comics,” and what Western producers keep getting wrong about vertical drama. Han also shares her predictions for where the market expands next and why the US and India could be on the brink of major growth.
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In this anonymous edition of TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by two experienced digital-first producers who speak candidly about the realities of building sustainable businesses in social video, YouTube and podcasting in 2026.
They discuss why digital producers are suddenly in demand, how broadcaster strategies are changing, and why success on YouTube is far from guaranteed for traditional TV indies. The conversation digs into budget expectations, premium versus low-cost production models, the need for multi-skilled teams, and the growing importance of community building over single commissions.
Rights and IP are a major focus, with the guests explaining how current broadcaster deals work, why ownership of audiences and channels matters, and what a future industry framework for digital-first production might look like. They also explore branded content pricing, fears of a race to the bottom, and whether new industry standards are needed to protect producers.
The episode closes with predictions for the rest of 2026, including the impact of the BBC’s new digital initiatives, creator cross-overs into television, and what the next phase of the digital-first production economy could bring.
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